Periodontal diseases are thought to be infectious diseases caused by bacteria present in dental plaques. Removal of dental plaques is highly important for the health of oral cavities. Tooth brushing is a highly effective method to remove dental plaque from the teeth. Power toothbrushes can enhance the removal of dental plaque. Such power toothbrushes have a set of bristles attached to a brush head which is moved by a driver that causes the bristles to scrub dental surfaces.
To improve oral care, it is desirable to provide a toothbrush with bristles packed as densely as possible. Densely packed bristles improve oral care, improve the removal of dental plaque from the teeth, and improve the cleaning of other dental surfaces. Bristle density may be increased by, for example, increasing the number of bristles in a tuft, or by increasing the number of tufts on a brush head, both of which can be accomplished without increasing the size of the brush head.
However, for structural reasons, including maintaining the structural strength and integrity of the brush head, a minimum distance must be maintained between tuft holes. As a result, there is a limit as to how big the bristle tufts can be, and how many bristle tufts can be placed on a brush head of a certain size. These structural requirements therefore limit the overall density of the bristles on the brush head.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for brush head assemblies, and methods of their manufacture, that increase the density of the bristles on the brush head and therefore improve oral care.